


The Terror Within

by Kyarorain



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-07
Updated: 2008-09-07
Packaged: 2017-10-09 11:52:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/86993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyarorain/pseuds/Kyarorain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they hear of strange happenings in the Eterna Forest, Ash, Dawn and Brock check out the Old Chateau. That decision could turn out to be their biggest mistake ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**The Terror Within**

 

* * *

It's time for a horror fic. It will be quite dark and a little depressing, but what would horror be without dark and depressing stuff?

I do not own Pokémon. I think you would have guessed that already though...

* * *

 

"Gardenia!"

The Eterna City Gym Leader turned at the sound of her name, a startled expression flickering over her face. It was so quiet in the Eterna Forest that the unexpected sound of a voice had surprised her. She recognised the trio of Pokémon trainers coming along the path toward her and smiled faintly.

"Ash, Dawn, Brock." Gardenia nodded her head in recognition. "I take it you're heading back through to go to the next gym, right?" She rested her gaze on the dark-haired boy wearing a red cap.

"That's right. I'm returning to Jubilife City and then I'm off to Canalave City for the sixth gym," Ash replied. He glanced at the girl standing next to him. "Dawn's also planning to enter the contest there."

"I see," Gardenia said quietly, turning away slightly with a pensive expression. She was lacking her usual exuberance and Ash and Dawn were just beginning to notice something wasn't right, but it seemed Brock wasn't so quick on the uptake and Gardenia was startled again as the squinty eyed oldest member of the group leaped forward and grabbed her hands.

"I still remember our first meeting that took place in this very forest and meeting you again right here, I can say that this occasion is surely as joyous as the first one," Brock spoke rapidly, eager to spill out his feelings to the older woman. "Perhaps we should-"

"I'm sorry." Gardenia sighed and pulled her hands away from Brock, folding her arms. "I am not in the mood for your flirting game right now."

"Huh?" Brock stepped back, noticing that his Croagunk was now out of its Poké Ball. He realised that he had just been a mere second away from the painful punishment Croagunk usually gave him for flirting with women. Looking at Gardenia, he saw that she didn't seem to be in a good mood and he had apparently stepped out of line. "Forgive me. I didn't realise something was bothering you."

"Is there something the matter, Gardenia?" Dawn asked, looking worried. Normally she was rather cheerful and a little crazy at times, so it was quite disconcerting to see her in such low spirits. "Perhaps we can help you."

"Someone disappeared again," Gardenia said quietly, staring at a narrow path branching off from the path they were standing on right now. It was almost hidden within the cover of trees and overgrown weeds. "A person who lived in Eterna City, she rarely ever left home and she hasn't been seen for quite a few days now. I think she may be another victim of whatever is causing those people to vanish."

"Huh? People have been disappearing?" Ash's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't imagine who or what would be behind such a plot. "Was it happening in the forest? Is that why you are here?"

"Yes, that is correct," Gardenia replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I believe that all the strange disappearances so far have happened in the forest itself. One of the items belonging to the victims was found around here. They might even be connected to the Old Chateau, but it's just a theory at the moment. It doesn't make sense really. Nobody's lived there in years."

"What is the Old Chateau?" Dawn asked curiously. "We didn't see any place like that last time we came through here."

"It's up that way." Gardenia pointed at the almost hidden path. "The path goes directly to the Old Chateau. Nobody likes to go near that place. There are rumours that it might even be haunted, but what if it's even worse than that? Who knows what could be lurking inside that old house now? I don't feel brave enough to go and look."

"Haunted house, huh?" Ash looked in the direction of the path and involuntarily shivered. He didn't like the sound of that. Whatever was going on there sounded much worse than a few mischievous ghost Pokémon. He swallowed and looked back at Gardenia. "I hope that those missing people turn up safe."

Gardenia just nodded dully, staring at the ground with a sad expression. The strange disappearances had been going on for a while now and they had found no sign of the victims. This situation was starting to seem hopeless. The people of Eterna City didn't even have any idea yet what it was that was taking the people away from them. There might even have been Pokémon trainers coming through the forest who disappeared as well.

"Um... how is James's Cacnea?" Brock asked in an effort to change the subject. The silence was growing rather uncomfortable. "Has it managed to master Drain Punch yet?"

"Oh, Cacnea is a brilliant Pokémon. I'm having a lot of fun raising it," Gardenia responded immediately, looking a little happier as she spoke of the Pokémon James had given her to train a while back. "It's an adorable thing really. I think it will be able to use Drain Punch properly soon, it's just not quite there yet. It's always trying its best though." She paused, looking as if she had just remembered something. "I should be getting back to the gym now. People are starting to get a bit annoyed at me for being away so often." With a sheepish smile, she waved a hand and walked past the trio. "Take care, everyone."

"So, the Old Chateau is some creepy old haunted house, huh?" Dawn spoke up once Gardenia was out of sight. "I wonder if that story is really true." She turned to look at Ash. "It might be full of weird ghost Pokémon. Wouldn't it be fun to go and have a look?"

"I don't know," Ash said hesitantly, seeming doubtful. "The way Gardenia talked about that place, it just sounds way too dangerous. I think we should just keep going and hurry to the next gym."

"That would be the most sensible option," Brock added, looking nervous. "Gardenia herself felt too afraid to go near that place, so I'm not sure that we should."

"But what if the Old Chateau is really connected to those strange disappearances?" Dawn asked, looking determined. "Perhaps they were kidnapped and they are being held in that creepy old house, waiting for someone to come and rescue them. Wouldn't it be worth taking a look?"

"Hmm." Ash frowned, looking in the direction of the Old Chateau. "If that really is the case, then we can't just ignore it. Whatever is taking those people away has got to be stopped." He clenched a fist, looking fierce. "We should see what we can do and try to save them."

"Pika!" Pikachu, who was sitting on his shoulder, spoke in a tone that made it clear he had the same belief as his trainer.

"Please keep in mind that who or what it was that kidnapped them may very well try to kidnap us as well," Brock cautioned. "We should be on our guard if we go into that place."

"No need to worry," Dawn assured confidently, placing her hands on her hips. She looked up toward the blue penguin Pokémon sitting upon her head. "We can do this, right, Piplup?"

"Pip, pip." Piplup nodded fiercely.

A heavy silence descended on the three as they walked onto the overgrown path and made their way through the trees, slowly moving in the direction of the Old Chateau. They were all feeling nervous about the old and possibly haunted place Gardenia had spoken of, but they couldn't just ignore the problem that had arisen in the Eterna Forest. The thing would only keep taking people and the other people might never be seen again. With these concerns on their minds, they couldn't simply turn away from this matter.

The trees parted to reveal a large expanse of overgrown grass and weeds. The path continued to make its way through the grass, leading all the way up to the large house that loomed before the group. The Old Chateau had seen better days. Creeping ivy ran along the walls of the large building, several windows were broken and boarded up, and the roof seemed to have a few holes in it. It was a sorry sight to take in.

"So, this is the Old Chateau. It's really creepy looking," Ash commented, sounding slightly nervous. "I can see why people would stay away from this place. Ghost Pokémon love places like this."

"Do you think a ghost Pokémon could have behind all these disappearances?" Dawn asked.

"Ghost Pokémon are usually the playful type from what we've seen, they will enjoy playing jokes on people and may sometimes take it too far," Brock explained. "Whatever is going on here though, it's clearly not a joke. I can't imagine why a Pokémon would be kidnapping so many people and keeping them in this place. Even if they are lonely, it seems to be over the top."

"Hmm." Dawn looked at her feet, her brow creasing in worry. "If it isn't a Pokémon," she mumbled under her breath, "then that would mean..."

"Alright, let's not waste any more time," Ash spoke loudly, trying to sound more confident than he was really feeling. "We've got people to save. Let's hurry." He marched purposefully toward the front door, Brock and Dawn quickly following. Ash pushed the door open, hearing a loud creak as he did so, and the three looked into the murky gloom beyond the doorway.

Ash, Dawn and Brock stepped through the doorway, into the foyer. Dawn fumbled with one hand on the wall until she found a light switch and pushed it. Surprisingly, the lone light dangling from the ceiling flickered into life and cast a weak, yellow glow over the hall. The walls were faded with age and covered with grime, the floor looked worn in places and a thin layer of dust covered everything. A staircase on either side of the hall led to the upper floor.

"It doesn't look like anybody has been living here for a while. There's a lot of dust around." Brock glanced at the floor, noticing that there wasn't quite so much dust there as there was on everything else. That could mean someone had entered this house at some point but he couldn't be sure when that was. "If there is something or someone in here, cleanliness isn't the first thing on their mind."

"This place gives me the creeps," Dawn muttered, rubbing her arms and frowning. "Why would anybody even want to come into this creepy, abandoned house?" Was there somebody in here? She didn't want to think about that. The idea of another person being within those walls disturbed her. Was someone really here, kidnapping people and keeping them in this strange building, or was it just a a few Pokémon playing some unwelcome pranks? She would much prefer it to be the latter.

"It doesn't look like anybody is here." Ash walked through the hall, approaching the closed doors and listening intently. It was eerily quiet inside this house and there was nothing to be heard from inside the rooms either. He glanced up toward the upstairs landing. "I guess we should try looking upstairs as well. Okay, let's start searching this house and see what we can find." Ash turned to one side of the staircase and quickly walked up the stairs.

"I'll come up too!" Dawn hurried over, following Ash upstairs. While they started looking through the upstairs rooms, Brock looked into the rooms below. Their search proved to be uneventful as they found no signs of anything else living in this house, not even a single Pokémon. They searched slowly and carefully, making sure to check any possible hiding places in each room they searched.

"Maybe Gardenia was wrong about the Old Chateau," Ash spoke glumly to Pikachu as he came out of yet another room and walked toward the end of the hallway. He had hoped to find some clue to the whereabouts of those people and save them, but it was looking like that wouldn't be the case and it disappointed him. "I haven't found anything yet."

"Pikachu." Pikachu sounded unhappy. He had wanted the mystery to be solved as much as Ash did. "Pika pi, pika."

"Whatever is taking all those people away shouldn't be allowed to get away with it," Ash said tersely. "They should be stopped before any more people go missing. I just don't understand why they would do this." He stopped at the end of the hallway and turned to look at a wide doorway with a flight of steps going up and turning around a corner. It seemed to go up to another floor. "I haven't looked up there yet."

Ash was just about to go up when a girl's scream split the air. That sound had unmistakably belonged to Dawn. His heart started pounding in his chest and he turned, running in the opposite direction toward the sound of the scream. Had Dawn found something after all? He turned round the corner to another section of the corner and found an open door leading into a room.

"Dawn?" Ash stepped into the room, looking around anxiously. The only thing in the room were a few boxes and some assorted pieces of furniture. He noticed a gaping hole in the center of the floor and immediately realised what must have happened. "Dawn, are you down there?" he asked, carefully moving to the edge of the hole and peering down into the darkness.

"The floor just collapsed underneath me!" Dawn called back in a teary voice, sounding pained. "I landed on my ankle and it's really hurting." She broke off with a shaky gasp.

"Just wait there, I'll come down and help." Ash turned and ran out of the room, hurrying toward the stairs. Brock was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking worried.

"I thought I heard a scream just now. Is everything okay?" Brock asked anxiously.

"Dawn just fell through the floor." Ash caught sight of a door underneath the staircase and opened it, revealing a new hallway. They followed it through to what appeared to be an utility room. Dawn was curled up on the floor, groaning and holding her leg while Piplup watched on anxiously. She was whimpering through gritted teeth, her eyes wet with tears.

"Dawn said that she landed on her ankle," Ash explained to Brock as they knelt next to Dawn, who could barely speak for the pain she was in right now. "It's not broken, is it?" he asked, looking at Dawn with a worried expression.

"I don't know..." Dawn whispered, looking at her pained ankle. It was already starting to swell up and had turned a bright red. "It just really hurts."

"Let me see." Brock gently took hold of her ankle and examined it. "It's not broken," he announced, letting it go. Dawn sighed in relief. "It's very badly sprained though, so you won't want to put any weight on it for a while. I saw a sofa in one of the rooms, so you can rest there until it feels better."

"You have to be careful in these old places, Dawn. They fall apart pretty easily," Ash said. "You're lucky you didn't break anything."

"Yeah, I should have been more careful," Dawn said sheepishly. "Now we're going to be spending even longer in this creepy old place because of me."

As Dawn was carried out of the room, Piplup looked up briefly at the hole in the ceiling and saw the silhouette of a figure that quickly moved out of sight. The startled Pokémon got the attention of Pikachu who listened and understood. They followed the three trainers, both looking worried. Even if there was something else in the house, how were they going to explain it?

Two hours later, the clouds that had been gradually been building up while they rested within the Old Chateau culminated in the arrival of rain. Ash looked out of the window with a morose expression, watching the rain drizzle down the window. He could hear it lashing against the building. If the weather continued to stay like this, they would end up staying here all day. The thought of spending the night here wasn't exactly a pleasant one, but they might end up having no choice.

"Isn't there anything to do?" Dawn groaned, shifting around on the sofa and wincing as pain shot down her ankle. "Maybe there are some board games lying around or something? I'm so bored. Why did I have to fall down like that?"

"I can't believe it's raining at a time like this," Ash spoke up, turning away from the window. "We can't go back through the forest in that weather, can we?"

"I think we would be better off staying nice and dry," Brock replied. "There doesn't seem to be anything scary about this place anyway so spending one night here shouldn't be a problem." He looked around the room, which was almost bare. "I don't think we'll find any board games in here. It looks like whoever left here just left furniture behind."

Dawn leaned against the arm of the sofa and sighed. "Yeah, I guess not. So, if we spend the night here, then we might actually see ghost Pokémon? I just hope they let us sleep quietly." She folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "At least it seems like this place doesn't have anything to do with the vanishing incident. I'd be worried about staying here if it did."

"It's kind of disappointing though, I really wanted to find those people and help them." Ash walked over to sit on the arm of the sofa and gazed ahead despondently. "I wonder where they really are. Gardenia seemed so worried, and a lot of other people must be wondering where they went to. I thought for sure that we might find the answer here."

"Well, if we're going to be staying here tonight, we should think about where we'll be sleeping," Brock said, standing up. "I'll make a nice dinner tonight. There were some beds upstairs, right?"

"Yeah, I think there were two rooms with beds in them." Dawn nodded. "Those rooms are dusty, just like everywhere else in this house, but I guess we really can't be picky at a time like this." As Piplup began speaking its name in a worried tone, she glanced at the water Pokémon. "What's wrong? You don't like us staying here tonight? It's raining right now, so we might not have a choice."

"It will be okay. So what if we see a few ghost Pokémon?" Ash added. "They won't harm us. There's nothing wrong with this house."

"Chu," Pikachu muttered in dissatisfaction. He believed Piplup's story about the strange figure and was worried something dangerous might be lurking in this place after all, but they were right. It was too impractical to be going back into the forest right now. The best they could do was protect their trainers against any dangers that might suddenly emerge in the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Terror Within**

* * *

This is a pretty dark and violent chapter. It's a horror story after all. Stuff has to happen.

* * *

Ash awoke the next morning after an uneventful night, turning over in the bed where he slept and looking over at the window. A few patches of sunlight shone through the cracks between the wooden boards, a sign that the bad weather had come to an end. The rain had been relentless, continuing on well into the evening and ensuring that they spent a night in the Old Chateau. Ash smiled and sat up, stretching his arms while yawning.

Pikachu was awoken by the motion and sleepily blinked up at Ash, mumbling his name. Ash smiled and rubbed his head. "Good morning, Pikachu. Did you sleep well?" Pikachu nodded. "It looks like the weather is good today, so we can get back on the road and continue travelling."

Ash quickly slipped out of bed, not wishing to waste any further time this morning. He wanted to get back on the road and return to Jubilife City as soon as possible, and early in the morning was a good time to start. Once he had put on his jacket, hat and shoes, he walked over to the other bed where Brock was still sleeping soundly and began gently shaking him. "Hey, Brock. Wake up."

"Huh?" Brock mumbled as he was roused from sleep, looking up at Ash with bleary eyes. It felt quite early in the morning to him and he wasn't sure why he was being woken up so soon. Usually he was the first to wake up so that he could start cooking breakfast for the others. "Ash?" Brock sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"We've wasted enough time in this place already and the weather's great." Ash gestured at the window. "It's not raining anymore so we can go through the forest now. So let's hurry up and leave already so that we can go to Jubilife City and then to the next gym."

"I see. You are in quite a hurry this morning, aren't you?" Brock remarked, feeling rather surprised at Ash's exuberance. The trainer from Pallet Town could be rather impatient at times, especially where the gyms were concerned, but didn't usually go to the trouble of rousing everyone first thing in the morning. "Okay, I'm getting up now. So you don't want to eat breakfast first?"

"I'm not feeling hungry yet. We can eat later, right?" Ash shrugged. All he really wanted to do was get out of this old, abandoned house and back on the road. "I'm going to go and see if Dawn is awake yet." He turned and hurried out of the room.

Brock stared at the door, one eyebrow raised. Ash was behaving a little oddly this morning for some reason, but there wasn't anything wrong with having an early start to the day so he could hardly complain. He had just got up and put his vest and shoes back on when he heard Ash calling out Dawn's name. Brock walked to the door to see Ash hurrying along the hallway, looking around frantically. A worried looking Piplup, as well as Pikachu, hurried after him.

"What's the matter now?" Brock asked, stopping Ash in his tracks. "Isn't Dawn in her room?"

Ash turned around and shook his head, an anxious frown on his face. "Only Piplup was in the room. Dawn's just gone, and her stuff is still in the room. Piplup doesn't even seem to know where she is." He paused, before calling out Dawn's name again. There was no answer.

"That's strange." Brock went to check Dawn's room himself. The bed was in a partially disturbed state, the sheets rumpled and almost falling off the mattress. Dawn's pink boots were neatly lined up by the bed, along with her hat, scarf and bag. Something was definitely not right about this scene. It was as if Dawn had just vanished without any explanation. "Where could Dawn have got to?"

"I wonder if she could be in one of the other rooms." Ash hurried along the hallway, opening doors and looking into the rooms. There was no sign of the blue-haired co-ordinator however and he returned to where Brock was standing, shaking his head. "I don't understand. How come she's just disappeared like this? What if it's something to do with what Gardenia was talking about?"

"Those people vanished in the forest, didn't they?" Brock crossed his arms, his brow creasing in thought. "If that thing really did come in here and take Dawn... no, there's got to be a reasonable explanation for this. What if she went downstairs?" He didn't quite believe that even as he said it. Dawn hadn't even bothered to get ready by the look of things and at the very least, she wouldn't be walking around barefoot.

"Dawn's gone, just like all those people," Ash murmured tightly. He couldn't believe how Dawn was so easily able to disappear without a sign. What could possibly have done this? "We have to find her, but where is she? Why would anything take her? What are they planning to do with her?"

A bloodcurdling scream sounded from above their heads, startling them out of their wits. It was not a scream of pain or fright, but one of sheer terror. Ash and Brock stared at each other in shock for a second while Pikachu and Piplup looked around frantically, trying to figure out just where that scream had come from.

"That scream was..." Ash whispered, his face turning pale. "It was Dawn! Where did it come from?"

"I think it sounded like it was coming from above us!" Brock stared up at the ceiling in confusion. "Is there another room up there?"

"The stairs." Ash remembered that time yesterday just before he had heard Dawn's scream when she fell through the floor, he had been about to go up a set of stairs beyond a doorway. "I remember now, there were some stairs going further up. This way!" He hurried along the hallway, Brock running after him.

The stairs led them to a narrow corridor with doors leading to only three rooms. One of the doors was partly open. Ash approached the ajar door, his pulse racing in trepidation. What was beyond that door? Was Dawn in there with whatever it was that had caused her to scream like that? He felt almost afraid to see what awaited him in that room. Ash shakily gripped the handle of the door and pushed it further open, looking into the room.

The first thing he noticed was the splashes of dark brown all over the room. The same stains could be seen on the knives sitting on the large shelf to the side of the room. A rusty axe, the blade also stained reddish brown, was propped up by the door. The other side of the room was cluttered with various pieces of junk. In the center of the room, a lone person was sitting against the wall, her hands tied behind her back. Her long blue hair hung over her face, hiding her horrified expression. A steady flow of blood gushed down the front of her dress.

"Dawn!" Ash cried out in horror, running across the room to her. He knelt down next to her, catching sight of the deep gash running across her neck. "No..." he whispered, his body trembling with shock. Brock, Pikachu and Piplup hurried to his side, seeing for themselves how serious the wound was. "Brock, isn't there anything that we can do?"

Brock grimly took a hold of her wrist, feeling for her pulse. It was already slowing down. He slowly shook his head, looking aggrieved. "It's no good." It was already too late for them to save her. The wound was much too severe. Dawn was slipping away from them already and all they could do was watch.

"That... can't be..." Ash's eyes welled up with tears and he started to sob. "Why would anybody want to hurt Dawn, let alone kill her? I don't understand! Why?"

Behind them, the killer slowly emerged from behind the door. They didn't hear him as he crept over to where the axe lay, picking it up in his hands. Without a sound, he slipped out of the room.

Piplup understood that something terrible had just happened to its trainer, that she was about to leave it forever. It clung to her leg, crying out its name as tears pooled up in its eyes. How could she be leaving? Pikachu sadly reached out and put a paw on its back, trying to offer what little comfort he had.

"Ash," Brock said urgently, a thought occurring to him. It was likely they were both in danger and they couldn't spend time grieving right now. "You understand what this means, don't you? There's a killer in the house right now." Ash looked up at him with wide, teary eyes. "They could be coming for us next. We've got to do something."

"You're right," Ash said shakily, getting to his feet. He clenched his fists furiously. "That monster is not getting away with this," he hissed through gritted teeth. "We've got to stop them and make them pay for this. But where did they go?"

"We're going to find out." Brock walked out of the room, Ash following after him with Pikachu now on his shoulder. Piplup was still sitting by Dawn's body, unwilling to leave her side.

Outside the room, the two Pokémon trainers approached the second door in the hallway. Brock slowly pushed it open, cautiously looking around. Seeing nobody inside the room, he pushed the door further open and Ash stepped aside to get a better look. There was a sleeping bag in the room, as well as food wrappers, drink cans and assorted things.

"It looks like someone was living here," Ash pointed out, his mouth dropping open in shock. "Then, does that mean the whole time we were here, we weren't alone in the house? The killer was right here!" He felt a pang of guilt, thinking that if only he had gone up the stairs yesterday, he might have caught the killer and then Dawn wouldn't have been murdered this morning.

"I think so too." Brock shut the door and sighed in disgust. "So the killer was hiding in this abandoned place..." He thought of the people who had gone missing and a chill ran down his spine. Could it be that they were also inside the house?

Ash stormed over to the third door, determined to find the person who had done that to Dawn. Were they hiding in here? He was not going to let Dawn's killer get away with this. "Are you in here?" he yelled, grasping the handle of the door. "Stop hiding and show yourself!"

"Ash, wait!" Brock exclaimed in warning, but it was too late. Ash was already wrenching open the door, expecting to find the killer lurking within. The sunlight pouring into the room made the scene within painfully clear to him and he let out a horrified scream.

Ash had found the people who vanished in Eterna Forest. Corpses were strewn all over the room, some of them staring blankly at him in wide-eyed terror. Flies had come through the broken window and were buzzing around the decaying bodies, swarming over their bloodied flesh.  The cloying smell of death flooded his sinuses and he gagged, stumbling back in disgust.

"They... they are..." Ash sank to his knees, shaking violently as he looked away from the corpses. "Those people... were... kept here..." How could somebody do this? How could anyone be capable of killing people and leaving them to rot in a room where nobody would find them? It was just unthinkable. He felt bile rising in his throat and lurched over, throwing up on the floor.

"Come on, Ash." Brock placed a hand on his shoulder when it seemed his vomiting spell was over. "We have to get out of here and notify the police."

Ash weakly got to his feet and wiped his mouth, not saying anything. His face was pale with shock and he was trembling wildly. Dawn was dead, so were the people who disappeared. They were all in this house. The killer had been here the whole time, waiting for a moment to strike. It was just so unbelievable. He had never seen a corpse before, apart from Aaron, and even then Aaron had been preserved by the tree's crystals. He had looked nothing like those decaying bodies piled up inside that room. The sight still burned his mind and made him want to forget it.

At the top of the steps leading back down to the second floor, Brock started as he suddenly remembered something. "Ash, go and get Piplup. We can't leave it here with the killer. He might harm it."

Ash slowly nodded and went back into the room where Dawn's body remained. He numbly laid a hand on her arm, finding her still warm to the touch. "Piplup, we've got to go," he said in a quiet voice. "Don't worry, we'll come back for her later. Right now we have to get the police here and you can't stay here. The killer might..." He broke off, swallowing.

"Piplup," Piplup spoke in a small, teary voice, reluctantly moving away from Dawn. It slowly followed after Ash, throwing one last sad look at its trainer before leaving the room. Ash walked down the stairs after Brock, pausing at the bottom and gazing back up the stairs. He didn't like the idea of leaving Dawn alone in the house with that killer around, even if she was already gone.

"Come on, Ash, hurry," Brock urged, already halfway across the hall. "The killer could be anywhere at this moment. We have to-" His sentence was cut off as a door burst open near him. There was no time for him to react as a man wielding an axe charged at him and swung with all his strength.

"Brock!" Ash screamed in terror as he saw the blade of the axe plunging into his friend's chest. Crimson fluid splashed over his clothes and the killer's.

Brock was still, his face frozen in shock as he looked at the man who had just brought an end to his life. The man's crazed expression was almost hidden behind his wild, straggly mane of  black hair and thick beard. His mouth was twisted in a malevolent grin, displaying a row of yellow teeth. He was chuckling under his breath. With a sharp tug, the man pulled the axe out, sending Brock crashing to the floor. A puddle of blood pulled up underneath him.

"No..." Ash took a shaky step forward, clenching his fists so tightly that he could feel his nails digging into his palms. He let out a horrified sob, tears streaming down his face. First Dawn, now Brock... the killer had just taken away two of his friends. He'd killed all those people. The killer turned around, fixing his deranged gaze on Ash. Ash met his stare, a surge of fury suddenly building up in his body. Who did this person think he was, taking away people's lives like this?

"Ash..." Brock raised his head, struggling to speak. "Run!" he gasped out with the last of his breath, praying that Ash would listen to him and get away before the killer got him as well. There was nothing he could do now to try and help him. Ash was on his own now. Brock felt his strength leave him and collapsed, his body starting to grow still.

The man began taking slow, purposeful steps toward Ash, his grin widening as he swung his axe back and forth. Drops of blood flew off the axe. He stopped a few feet away and chuckled derisively. "So, you're the last one. Getting to kill three people at once is quite a treat."

"You bastard!" Ash screamed, running at him with fists flying. He wanted to take the killer down, make him suffer for what he had done. The killer was faster, slamming a fist into Ash's face before he could even land a blow on him. The force of the punch sent Ash flying backward onto the floor, Pikachu landing next to him. Ash propped himself up on his elbows, gazing up at the figure looming over him. A sinking feeling settled in his gut as he realised he'd managed to make the situation even worse. He'd completely lost his mind in his fury and tried to attack a killer head on. It wasn't the most sensible thing he had done in his life.

The man tossed aside the axe with a nasty grin and it hit the floor with a loud clatter. He raised a foot and sharply slammed it with all his strength down onto Ash's chest, pressing his boot onto Ash's ribcage. Ash cried out in pain as the pressure increased. It was almost enough to crack all his ribs at once. He desperately struggled, trying to shake off the man's foot.

"Pikachuuu!" Pikachu furiously let rip with a Thunderbolt. The man froze on the spot as several thousand volts coursed through his body then flew back onto the floor, stunned by the attack.

"Thanks, Pikachu." Ash struggled onto his knees, clutching his chest and gasping from the pain. He watched the twitching man with a hard stare, trying to decide what to do next. After Brock was killed right before his eyes, he couldn't just let the killer get away. His eyes moved toward the axe lying nearby, shining with glistening red blood and he swallowed heavily.

"Do you really think... I can be stopped... so easily?" The man started rising to his feet, his face twisted in rage. "A puny rat's electric attacks can't stop me."

Ash quickly stood, taking a step back and watching the man nervously. He wasn't sure he could fight a man who was so much larger than him. His hand slowly moved toward his Poké Balls, as he wondered what other Pokémon he could try using to take the man down. Hopefully the man wouldn't pick the axe up again, Ash had no desire to see his Pokémon go up against such a brutal weapon.

"Why did you do it?" Ash burst out, his emotions yet again taking hold as he looked into the killer's dark eyes. "Why did you kill all those people? What did they ever do to you? Dawn and Brock... they never did anything to deserve what you did to them!"

"Do I need a reason?" the man snarled, rushing at Ash with surprising speed. Ash had no time to react before he was seized by the front of his jacket and flung into the wall. The killer had incredible strength that overwhelmed him. He slammed a fist into Ash's stomach, severely winding him and causing him to double up, gasping in pain.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried out anxiously. Piplup watched on from a distance, shivering with shock.

Ash let out a choked whimper as he felt the killer's strong hands closing around his throat. He desperately pried at the man's hairy wrists, struggling to loosen the lethal grip that cut off his breath. The man lifted him up into the air, chuckling softly as he saw the terrified expression on Ash's face.

"It ends now," the man whispered in a menacing voice, ignoring Ash's frantic kicks landing against his body. The killer turned around and marched toward the wooden banisters that ran along the staircase and landing, grinning as he slammed Ash forcefully into them. The wood splintered on impact and parts of the banister fell toward the lower floor, along with Ash.

There was nothing to grab on to. Ash was plummeting, his mouth open in a soundless scream. In that split second where time seemed to stand still, Pikachu had jumped off after him and was reaching out, crying his name. A sharp pain exploded in his back as he hit the floor. He rolled over onto his side, staring straight ahead with a horrified look. It wasn't just the impact of hitting the floor that caused the pain. Something was sticking into his back. Ash struggled to look over his shoulder, ignoring his body's aches of protest as he did so, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw the thick shaft of wood coming out of his back.

"Damn..." Ash muttered, collapsing back into his former position and groaning. "I'm done for..."

"Pikapi?" Pikachu anxiously walked over and looked at him in worry. "Pikapi, pikachu?"

"Pikachu..." Ash whispered, weakly raising a hand to pat his head. He smiled faintly, his eyes glimmering with tears. "I messed up, huh?" His body was starting to feel cold and he knew he didn't have long to live. "Sorry... I have to leave... I love you..." The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Pikachu's teary face as he cried out a frantic protest. His hand hit the floor with a dull thud and his eyes closed shut.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu wailed, throwing himself upon Ash's body and sobbing.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Terror Within**

* * *

Another chapter? What could it possibly be about? I'm not spoiling it for you. Go ahead and read it.

* * *

They never should have come into the Old Chateau. In doing so, they had intruded on his territory. It was his special hiding place in the forest, where nobody ever came, and he could live here all alone. He could even keep the bodies of those he killed in this house and nobody would find them. The Old Chateau was his own haven and anybody who dared to trespass would pay for it. He had been ready to deal with those people he heard snooping around his house, until he heard a scream. Since nobody was upstairs when he came down from his room, he had gone to the source of the sound and peered through the hole in the floor unseen.

He listened to them, hearing that the girl had hurt her ankle very badly and the other two would take her to rest on that old sofa. That meant they would be here for a while. The man was furious. How dare those brats treat his haven like some place they could stay whenever they liked? Instead of rushing straight in, he had patiently waited. Choosing the right time was important. Then the rain started. Those trespassers went even further, taking three of the beds available in the house and sleeping there for the night just because they didn't want to go through the rain.

He could have slaughtered them all in their beds while they slept, but he decided against it. Instead he would give them a nice surprise early in the morning when he came to make them suffer and die. It wasn't much fun to kill a person in their sleep. Part of the fun of killing was listening to the victim protest, beg for their life and scream in terror when they realised they were about to die. He enjoyed seeing the terrified looks on their faces and the power of taking their life by force. It always sent a rush of adrenalin through his body and made him want to kill even more.

The first person he had ever murdered was his own wife. They were happily married for a short while, until she became quite irritable and he found her simply unbearable. One day he had snapped while listening to her nag him about trivial matters and been seized by the uncontrollable desire to end her life. When that red mist faded, she was lying dead on the floor. Her face was forever frozen in an expression of shock and terror. His next victim was a prostitute. All he had wanted was the gratification of doing it. Instead of paying up, he silenced her.

The police never caught him, no matter how many people he killed and stashed away. By the time he found the Old Chateau, he had already killed six people. The Old Chateau, an abandoned house, was the best place to hide. People were too afraid of the house to come near it and they would never disturb him. Sometimes, people were foolish enough to walk through the Eterna Forest alone and he would be lying in wait for them. All he had to do was knock them out then drag them back here and enjoy killing them. It was amazing that nobody had come here yet, seeking out the people who went missing. Did they not suspect that a serial killer was behind it all?

Early the next morning, he had crept into the room where the girl was sleeping alone with only her Piplup for company. They were both sound asleep and didn't hear him enter. He stood by the bed, gazing down at the peaceful face of the slumbering girl. She was so young, it was almost a pity to have to end her short life but he didn't care. These interfering kids deserved what was coming to them. He carefully lifted her out of the bed, making sure not to disturb the small Pokémon sleeping nearby, and took her out of the room. She didn't stir as he walked to the room where he killed his victims.

It was only when he had her against the wall and was tying her hands behind her back with strong rope that she jolted awake, staring ahead with wide eyes. Clearly, this was not the place where she had gone to sleep and she knew it. The girl turned her bright blue eyes on him and gasped in fright. Before she could even scream, he had clamped a hand around her mouth, stifling her. "Don't scream," he hissed. "You will die much sooner if you do."

"Who are you?" she whimpered as he took his hand away. "Why are you doing this?"

"I suppose you could say that killing people is a little hobby of mine," he had replied, softly chuckling. He wouldn't tell her his name because she didn't need to know. He no longer went by it anyway as it would only be clouded in suspicion. "I enjoy killing and I am especially going to enjoy killing you and your friends for having the nerve to come trespassing in my home."

"Your home?" she echoed. Her eyes were wide in terror and her face had turned pale. She was visibly trembling, a clear sign that she was afraid and did not want to die. None of his victims had ever wanted to die and that was the best part of it. It would be no fun killing somebody who wanted it anyway. "You're living here in this abandoned house?"

"Exactly, and it infuriates me that a bunch of brats think they have the right to come tramping in here and snooping around," he growled, rising to his feet. "This is my home, my private territory and I will not allow anybody to come in here uninvited and get away with it." He fell silent, gazing down at the young girl with a thoughtful expression. How should he go about killing her? There were so many possibilities, it was hard to pick.

"Those people who disappeared from the forest," she spoke in an accusing tone, her eyes narrowing. "They disappeared near this place. It was you who kidnapped them, wasn't it?" She gritted her teeth, looking furious. "What did you do with them?"

This girl was starting to bore him. He was growing tired of listening to her speak and wanted to shut her up as quickly as he could. He turned around, looking at the shelf where he kept his weapons and walked over, reaching out to pick up a dagger with a long, sharp blade. It would serve its purpose. As he picked it up, he heard the girl let out a terrified whimper.

"What did I do with those people? You really have to ask that question?" He walked toward her, chuckling in amusement. She really hadn't figured it out at this point? "I murdered them and stashed them in one of the rooms up here. Now you can go and join them." He raised the knife, smiling as he decided how to kill her. One slash across the throat, nice and deep, that would do it.

Right on cue, she threw her head back and let out a high-pitched scream of terror that made him feel excited as he prepared to take away yet another life.

* * *

_The darkness had gradually turned to light. It was a soft green light that seemed to bathe him in warmth and make him feel calm. Was this what it was like when people died? No, this couldn't be. The light made him feel like he was alive. A dark speck appeared in the light, barely visible against the brightness. He could barely see anything except for that light and now the strange shape taking form within it. Where was that light coming from and what was the shape? He tried to speak to it, but he couldn't._

_Suddenly, it was coming toward him. Whatever it was, it was something small with arms and legs. Its head was pointed at the top and it appeared to have wings on its back. There was something familiar about this shape._

_"Bi." The high-pitched voice sounded clearly in his ear. Was it the thing that spoke?_

_Then the light was gone._

Ash sat up in bed, letting out a cry of shock. His mind was whirling with the events he had just been through. His two friends had been brutally murdered by that crazed killer then the killer had thrown him through those banisters and he had fallen to the floor below. Hadn't he died when that shaft of wood went through his back? Why was he sitting up in bed well and alive then? Someone couldn't possibly have come to his aid and saved him. There had been no time for help and he was so sure that he had died then with Pikachu crying over him.

Pikachu was looking up at him now, blinking sleepily as if he had just been awoken. "Pika?" he mumbled.

"I'm alive. Why am I alive?" Ash pulled up his shirt and felt his back, trying to find any sign that he had been injured. There was no wound there as far as he could tell. He let the shirt drop back down and looked around the room in confusion. Now that he was actually taking in his surroundings, he realised that this was the same room he and Brock had been sleeping in at the Old Chateau. He glanced at the other bed where Brock was sleeping, appearing alive and well.

"I don't understand," Ash said shakily, staring at Brock with wide eyes. He remembered quite clearly how Brock had been taken down with that axe and died while lying in a pool of his blood. He shouldn't be alive either. This morning seemed exactly the same as the morning they had all died inside this building. "It's like that man hasn't even killed us... yet."

"Pika?" Pikachu seemed extremely confused now. He had no idea what Ash was going on about.

"And Dawn..." Ash started, his mouth dropping open. "Oh no! That means that Dawn..." His mind flashed back to the image of her lying against the wall, blood pouring from the cut in her throat. "She's about to be murdered!" He leaped out of bed, furiously pulling on his shoes and ran over to the bed where Brock was sleeping. "Brock! Wake up!" he yelled, shaking him.

"Ash?" Brock looked up at him in confusion as he awoke. "What's the matter?"

"It's Dawn," Ash gasped out. "There's a crazy killer right in this house and he's about to kill her, then he's going to get us. You have to get up now." The urgency in his voice and the fear in his eyes told Brock that this was no joke.

"But how do you..." Brock started.

"There's no time for that," Ash interrupted hastily. "Just hurry. The guy's up those stairs at the end of the hall. I've got to stop him before he kills Dawn." He turned and ran out of the room, Pikachu running after him.

Ash reached the top of the stairs and marched toward the first door, his pulse racing. He was about to confront that crazed killer yet again and prayed that he wouldn't end up dying again. It wasn't an experience that he particularly wanted to go through again. As he sharply pushed the door open, he heard Dawn let out a scream of terror. It was the same scream that he and Brock had heard before, when he had come far too late to save her. This time was different.

"Stop right there!" Ash shouted as he saw the straggly haired man about to cut Dawn's throat with the knife in his hand. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail and knock that knife away!"

"Chuuu-Pika!" Pikachu flew through the air, his tail glowing white. The man let out a cry of pain and anger as Pikachu's tail slammed into his hand, causing the knife to go flying.

"Ash!" Dawn cried out in relief. She had been so sure she was about to die, but he had come to save her just in time. She smiled in spite of the situation, feeling overjoyed at seeing him.

The man turned around to look at Ash with a furious expression. He had certainly not been expecting a last second rescue attempt. It was almost as if the brat had somehow known to come here, but how could that even be possible? "Did you come to try and stop me?" the man asked, grinning as he started walking toward Ash. "I suppose you think that you are capable of doing so. What a laugh."

"I've just seen my friends die in front of me, seen a room full of corpses and even felt what it's like to die painfully," Ash spoke in a calm voice, his brown eyes shining with cold fury. "I'm capable of just about anything right now." In a swift motion, he had pulled Gliscor's Poké Ball off his belt and tossed it into the air. "Come out, Gliscor!"

"What are you talking about?" the man asked incredulously, taking a step back. How could he have seen his friends die and even felt the pain of dying when none of that had even happened yet?

"Gliscor, use X-Scissor," Ash ordered, not taking his gaze away from the killer.

Gliscor flew through the air, its claws glowing white. It brought them down in the shape of a cross, slashing right across the man's chest. He grunted in pain and went flying back, crashing into the floor. The grey scorpion Pokémon returned to its original position, looking curiously at the person it was told to attack. Clearly, this person was not one of those Team Rocket people they sent blasting off all the time, so it was unsure why it was attacking a human.

"You... damn brat..." The man coughed and gasped in pain, struggling to get back up. "I should have... just killed you all... in your beds."

"Gliscor, Steel Wing." Ash folded his arms, watching the man with a cold stare.

Gliscor leaped up and swooped down at the man, turning sideways at the last minute and slashing one glowing wing against his body. The man crashed back down with an even louder grunt of pain.

"Ash..." Dawn looked at him in concern. Something wasn't right about the way he was acting. He seemed much too calm and the way he was using his own Pokémon like that against a human was startling. When had he even seen anyone die?

"That's enough, Gliscor." Ash held out the Poké Ball, recalling Gliscor. He put it back on his belt and reached for the axe lying by the door. "I'll finish this myself," he said tightly, lifting it and walking toward where the man lay.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Brock had just entered the room and took in the scene before him. Ash was holding an axe, a strange man was lying on the floor and Dawn was against the wall, her arms tied behind her back. It didn't take him long to figure out that the man was the killer Ash had spoken of, but what was he doing with that weapon?

"Wait, Ash!" Dawn cried out, her eyes wide in shock. "You can't just kill somebody!"

"He killed all those people. He killed you both and then he killed me. The man doesn't even deserve to live," Ash said in a shaky voice as he raised the axe, standing over the man. "He doesn't know what it's like to die while feeling pain and regret. I saw people I care about die before me, I even felt the pain of dying... why? Why can't he feel it too?"

"Go ahead and kill me," the man spat, staring up at him with a sick grin. "The only thing I'll feel when I die is the joy at being able to take so many lives while I lived." He laughed.

Ash was ready to bring down the axe then, his body shaking with fury as he thought about avenging all those people who had died. It was a tempting thought after what he had been through. Then he felt a firm hand on his arm and looked up to see Brock.

"Ash. I don't know what you saw or went through, but we're alive. The man didn't kill us. Whatever you were talking about never happened. You've got to let go of those feelings," Brock said in a calm voice. "Calm down and think about the situation. You can't take a life yourself, you don't have the right to. We have to hand the man over to the police so that they can punish him themselves."

"Brock's right, Ash," Dawn said querulously, her eyes filled with tears. "Please don't become a killer too."

"Pikapi." Pikachu tugged on the leg of Ash's pants, looking up with a pleading expression.

Ash looked from Dawn to Pikachu, remaining still for a few seconds as he thought about what he was doing. He'd been so caught up in those terrifying memories of death that he'd almost completely lost it. The important thing had been to save his friends' lives and his, and with the killer down, he had done just that. "I... what did I nearly do?" he whispered, dropping the axe to the floor with a heavy thud. "I almost killed someone myself."

"That's right, Ash. Don't drop to his level." Brock noticed a pile of ropes gathered at the side of the room and walked over to pick some up. "He should be tied up so he can't escape and then we'll get the police over here."

"Speaking of tied up, can someone please untie me now?" Dawn asked wearily.

"Are you okay, Dawn?" Ash rushed over to untie the rope around her hands. "He didn't have a chance to hurt you, did he?"

"I'm fine," Dawn replied. "That was really close though. The man was about to kill me when you turned up then. How did you even know?"

"I'll explain later." Ash got to his feet along with her. "Let's get out of this place first. I don't want to spend a minute longer here." This place was full of death. He wanted to get back out into the forest as soon as possible.

"He won't be able to escape now," Brock said, after tightly tying the man's hands and legs behind his back. "We can leave him here and go get the police to come here. His sick games are over." The man let out a grunt of anger, looking up at Ash with a furious glare. Ash didn't even look back at him.

A few minutes later, everyone had got ready and left the Old Chateau, walking back into the forest. Once they were on the path where they met Gardenia the day before, Ash came to a stop. Brock and Dawn stopped as well and turned to look at him questioningly.

"Something very strange happened today. I woke up this morning, remembering the very same morning as if it had happened before. In fact, it did happen." Ash looked at Dawn, who was holding Piplup tightly in her arms. "You died this morning, Dawn, the first time it happened. So did Brock, and me as well."

"Really?" Dawn's eyes widened in shock and her grip on Piplup tightened. "That man really did kill me?"

"The first time, I woke up, got Brock up and we were looking for you because you weren't in your room. That's when we heard you scream. It was too late to save you." Ash didn't like talking about that morning while it was so fresh in his memory and so disturbing, but he felt he should explain since they were so confused. "We looked in the other rooms up there, found the room where the man had been sleeping, and the last room... was where those people were."

"You mean, you saw them?" Brock looked astonished. He didn't want to know what finding a room full of dead bodies was like. No wonder Ash was so traumatised by his experience. Seeing them both die and dying himself definitely wouldn't have helped.

"We went down to find the killer and he came out of nowhere," Ash continued speaking. He looked at Brock. "You were taken down next with an axe. There was nothing you could do. Then he came for me. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong and he threw me through those wooden banisters. One of the wooden pieces went right through my back when I landed and..." He shivered at the memory. "I died."

"Oh, Ash." Dawn looked at him in horrified sympathy. She didn't know to say to that. He remembered all these terrible things that had happened. Why did he have to be the only one to remember?

"Then... something weird happened. I saw this bright, green light. It made me feel warm, happy... alive, even. I saw something like a Pokémon coming before me and suddenly I was awake in bed," Ash said. "I realised that somehow I'd gone back to an earlier time that morning and that's how I knew what was about to happen."

"That Pokémon... do you have an idea what it was?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, I do." Ash nodded decisively. "I'm pretty sure that it was Celebi."

"Ribii!" The sound of the small voice caused everyone to turn around and look up toward the top of a nearby tree, where they saw a small, green Pokémon sitting in the branches, watching them with large, blue eyes. Celebi smiled and flew down, wings fluttering wildly.

"Huh? This is a Celebi?" Dawn took out her Pokédex.

"Celebi, the time travelling Pokémon," the pink Pokédex explained. "This Pokémon has the power to travel across time. It is believed that Celebi will appear in forests where grass and trees flourish."

"I see. This is a forest after all." Dawn put away the Pokédex. "So you turned back time and saved us, Celebi?"

"You wanted to protect the forest as well, right?" Brock guessed. "It wasn't a safe place with that killer hanging around and you wanted him gone, didn't you?" Celebi nodded in response, flitting around their heads happily.

"Thanks, Celebi." Ash smiled at the elfin Pokémon, then a thought occurred to him. "How come I'm the only one who remembers it all though? I understand why I had to remember, but..."

"Celebi." Celebi flew in front of Ash's face and looked at him with a serious expression. It then placed its small hands upon his head and closed its eyes.

"Huh? What's it doing?" Dawn watched in surprise as Celebi glowed with a soft light. Ash went still, his eyes glazing over for a few seconds while Celebi used its power. When it was over, Celebi flew back and Ash shook his head, looking dazed.

"That's weird..." Ash muttered, blinking rapidly.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Brock asked.

"I don't remember any of that morning at all. All I know is what I told you two just now... I guess that means Celebi just erased those memories." It was as if that morning had never really happened and what Ash had been telling to Brock and Dawn was nothing more than a story, but he knew it was real. He simply didn't remember what it was like to see that room full of dead bodies, to see his friends die before him or to be killed by a crazed murderer.

"Cele, celebi!" Celebi said happily, flying through the air in a circle and smiling.

"Celebi is amazing." Dawn watched Celebi in rapture, her eyes shining. "It can do so many things."

"We really should hurry and go contact the police," Brock reminded Ash and Dawn. "I don't like the idea of leaving that man in there too long. I don't think he can escape, but still, we should be quick."

"Yeah. We should get going." Ash looked up at Celebi. "We're going now, Celebi. Thanks again for everything you did." The three Pokémon trainers then walked away along the path, waving at Celebi as they left. Celebi waved back before disappearing into the trees.

The police in Eterna City were immediately notified of the situation and hurried to the Old Chateau, where they recovered the bodies and arrested the killer. Ash, Dawn and Brock set off back through the Eterna Forest, content in the knowledge that it was a safe place again and they could go to Jubilife City without any worries.


End file.
